The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-07-06
HANGED FOR MURDER.
Albert Turner Swung Into Eternity From the
Gallows In Louisville.
His Dying Statement Exculpates william
Patterson, His Accomplish, Under
Sentence of Death.

Il
| man, was swung into eternity from the
| gallows in the county iail-yard at 6:32
| O'Clock this morning. He was sirangled to
/ death, the body being cut down about
| twenty minutes after the trap was sprung.
| Only fifty people were admitted to the
| yard, but about 2 600 assembled in the vi
cinity of the place as ea:ly as 4:30 o'clock.
| During the prayer, which Immediately
| preceded the fall of the trap, Turner gazed
| at the crowd about him unconcernedly
| and went to his death without any evidence
| OF fear.
His dying statement which follows, is a
| fat contradiction of what he has insisted
| upon all along, and of statement made
| in the Jail last night before four witnesses.
| 1t exculpates Patterson, his accomplice in
| the murder, who is also sentenced
| to hang, but whose appeal has not
| yet been heard by the Coart of
| Appeals. He said: "Now, gentlemen
| and friends, / hope you all take warning
| who see me now. / hope not another one
i of you will ever walk on the scaffold. And
4 now, friends there is a man in prison who
robbed the street-car. l want him turned
| free, and gentlemen, l want all of you to
| hear what / have got to say; l am going to
die with an honest heart and bring no one
to the gallows. I am going to die alone.
| Free the man Patterson. The man was not
with me. That Is all l have got TO say. /
Turner held a levee in the jail several
| days prior to the hanging, charging Curl
| Gus visitors to the Jail 5 cents for a look of
| fifteen seconds. and calling to them to
pass on and come up in regular sideshow
style. He collected considerable sum of
| money. which will be used in burying
| him. On one of these days the doomed
man was peering through the bars across
his window, and, catching sight of his
sister in the crowd, he said. You look
here, sister. i want big funeral Friday,
and you want to see that there is no disap-
pointment about it"
Go on, Albert" the woman answered,
"How is gwiDe to get you up big funeral
when | amt got no money!
Look here, woman; if you don't Use
gwine to hant you every night, and all
that knows me and don't tend the funeral"
Law, honey, don't talk dat way" broke
| in an old colored woman who was evil
IDENTIFY very much excited, and who had
been moving uneasily from side to side.
Vas, woman, Use gwine to come back
on dis earth and hant all you'se nlggers
what don't tend my burying."
AS Turner delivered this sentence the old
woman threw up her hands aud fell back
ward in a fit.
The greatest excitement prevailed IN
Louisville the afternoon of Thursday,
April %. 1t was caused by the report that
Il Jcuul6 DOWhdD, u ODuG5llC Twenty IWO
years of age, employ ed by Mr.. A. Y. John
son at his home in the best resident por-
| ton of the city, had been assailed and
| fearfully beaten by thieves while attending
| to her household duties. The fact that the
| assault had been committed in the bright
| open light of noon, when homes are left
| unprotected, added to the indignation.
| The girl was found brutality beaten. bleed
| ing and insensible across the bed in room
| in the second story. On the floor was found
heavy iron POKER covered with hair and
| blood, it having evidently been the weapon
| used. Down stairs were the evidences of a
1 fearful struggle. In the floor was found
| the stem of broken goblet which Jennie
| Bowman had used in the fight for life. Ga
| either side of the staircase were
bloody marks. The next day the victim
became conscious for a few moments
| and described her assailants, stating that
| they were two negroes. Friday after
| noon William Patterson, a dangerous
negro who was suspected, was arrested.
i Late Saturday afternoon Albert Turner,
1 whose face and hand bore suspicious look
| ing wounds, evidently made from some
| jagged instrument, was discovered in hid
| Ing and taken to Jail. Several articles
/ which had been missed from the Johnson
house vera also discovered in his room.
/ Upon the sight of these he confessed his
crime, and implored the officers to save
MIN from the MOP, winch ne feared. Inc
| authorities thought lynchIng probable
| and removed the men to Frankfort, Ky.
In the meantime Turner, upon seeing Pat
tersoD, declared that he was his accom-.
i p.ice in the terrible deed. He said that if
| his drawers were examined, blood would
be found upon them. Patterson was
| ripped and the blood was there.
4 Turner and Patterson were brought back
| Tuesday, April q, the authorities at Frank
| fort refusing to keep them longer. Then
| followed the mob demonstration, which
necessitated the calling out of the militia
to protect the Jail. After lingering nearly
| three weeks Jennie Bowman expired upon
May 8. The Grand Jury met May 10. and
return ed tree bills against Turner and Pat
| terson for murder. The trial followed i'm
| mediately and Turner pleaded guilty. His
| punishment was fixed by the jury at
death. At 1885 O'Clock, just five minutes
| after the Indictment had been returned,
| Judge Jackson sentenced the self-confeSsed
murderer to hang July l.
| Patterson pleaded not guilty. His case
Yves tried May 10. The jury, after being
1 out eleven minutes, returned a verdict of
| guilty and punishment at death. The
Judge sentenced him to hang July 1, but
his attorney prayed for an appeal, which is
now before the Court of Appeals. The re-
Il haorirao haforo that hadu mill ho ahnuf